Where am I

Things happened simultaneously and slowly, as if time itself wanted to witness this moment. Jael realized that the fire wasn't actually burning him, instead, it was entering his skin and filling his heart.

The monster bite down faster than Jael could react but something else reacted. The book flared, and green destructive energy blasted out, hit the monster, and sent it flying.

At the same time, the energy rebounded and hit Jael, it twisted the air around him. "What the he....!" He didn't get to finish because he was gone, he was drawn into the portal that opened behind him.

The monster raised its head and let out an air-splitting roar that shook the dungeon room. It's precious. It has been taken.

°•●●•°

The first thing Jael realized when he regained consciousness was that he wasn't in the dungeon, the second was that he was in some kind of tight place that cramped his limps.

He tried to sit up, and his head reeled; his stomach rolled with nausea, and he gasped, letting his head flop back. "What..the...I was just in the dungeon." He remembered the monster and he shuddered.

Jael couldn't remember what happened after that or where the artifact was. He clenched his hands, but it was not there. He tried to smile but the pain in his head turned it into a grimace. "Another dream dashed."

"Hey, you're awake?"

The voice was like two stones rubbing together, a deep smooth baritone. Jael thought he was alone wherever he was; he was so surprised he sat up. "Oh!" He shouted as his head slammed into something hard.

"Hush! Keep quiet!"

He rubbed his head but it didn't help with the splitting headache. He finally looked around. Although it was dark, for some reason, Jael could see. He was in a cage meant for animals like dogs, so small he couldn't spread his legs.

In front of him was another cage and another one beside it, but inside the one directly in front of him was the biggest man Jael had ever seen, faintly outlined in the dark. "Are you awake?"

"Yes," Jael answered, confused. How did he end up here? He was in a dungeon, about to get killed, and holding a book. He froze, and instinctively, he flexed his mind and let out a sharp gasp.

He could see the book spinning gently in his mind eyes deep inside his soul. "Wh..what is happening?" Is this what he thinks it is? But the essence didn't work!

The man thought Jael was talking to him. "You can ask later, but first, you have to check your hand. Are you cuffed?"

His headache was pounding harder, but excitement was also running in his blood. He checked his hands. "No cuff. What's this cuff?"

"He's probably an idiot." A woman's voice said, cold and sharp. She was in the cage beside the big man.

"Hush, Litha." The big man whispered. "The cuff is to stop you from using your abilities. You are Iron rank, right? I can sense it from here. Quick, use one of your skills to break the cage!"

"Iron rank," Jael repeated dumbly. "I am Iron rank."

"I told you he's an idiot. Are all humans like this? I hope not" The female voice said with a resigned sigh.

Jael ignored her because he was still reeling from the fact that he was indeed fully Awakened. He could feel it in his body if he could push past the pain in his head. "I am a new Awakened. I don't have any skills."

There was silence.

"This is just good. An iron with no skills? Are you one of those brats who are spoon-fed with essence?"

This time, not even the big man scolded her.

Jael wanted to snare and say something snappy but he settled for a scowl instead. He didn't have any skills because he didn't even know what his skills were. And what is all this talk about him being Iron? He's just fully Awakened. He should be bronze.

He dug into his mind and summoned what he never thought he'd get in his life, a Codex; it came willingly and as Jael had already guessed. It was the book in the dungeon, but this time, it appeared like a green hologram.

He put his hand on top of it, and he marveled at how solid it feels to touch. On the closed cover was written, [Monster Taming Necromancer Art] and [Mors].

But summoning his Codex with all the pain in his head was too much and Jael slumped again, the Codex winking out.

The big man grunted. "Well. That's impressive. A new powerful Codex, but it's weird; his aura says he's Iron, but he said he's just Awakened."

"Doesn't seem to have the dense quality of a skilled Iron. He's like a bronze who's just discovering his abilities, but he's Iron,' The woman's sharp voice said, but when she continued, it came grudgingly. "Rare or epic Codex. I think they made a mistake by not cuffing him."

The big man chuckled. "What a weird guy."

°•●●•°

Jael woke with a bitter taste in his mouth; it was a good thing he remembered where he was, so he didn't immediately open his eyes; he heard two people talking close to him. It wasn't the big man and the woman.

"Madame will be very happy, to think we will capture one more."

A second voice chuckled. "And he just fell in front of us."

"I wonder if they will be edible after the ritual. I've not eaten a Khantari before. I feel they won't be too stringy like the dwarves." The first voice replied.

He didn't like the sound of that. Jael slowly opened his eyes while he kept his breath even and smooth, pretending to still be unconscious. He was still in a cage but it was now on top of a moving platform carriage pulled by two men from the sides.

Men dressed in black robes and masks were pulling it along a stone tunnel. Two other carriages were in front of him, each carrying cages. The two that spoke to him earlier, Jael assumed. How he ended up here, he didn't know, but what he knew was that he had to get the hell out of there. Fast.

He flexed his muscles without moving; he felt the strength in his limbs. His head is clearer too. Time to get out of here and know exactly what Is going on.